


I'm in for a long ride (baby, you make my heart race)

by CheckYourLie (svnwritten)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (fr)enemies to friends to lovers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Character Development, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Sexual Tension, sexual tension so thicc that you can cut it with a knife, side paring: chankai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svnwritten/pseuds/CheckYourLie
Summary: “Racers say ‘see you on the highway’, right Byun?” something in Jongdae’s eyes shimmered.“You’re not a racer,” Baekhyun spat out furiously.“That’s why I promise I’ll give you more opportunities to see me than only on a highway.”or: in which Baekhyun is a sucker for a good challenge and if Jongdae was his challenge this time he would accept it.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 32
Kudos: 151
Collections: Round 4: Spring and Summer





	I'm in for a long ride (baby, you make my heart race)

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for: exo seasonal fest 4  
> prompt blossom: #90
> 
> So this went like this: I was the one who submitted the prompt and seeing that nobody was adopting it, I decided to take it myself and give my little baby some justice. Writing it was a long ride but I hope that the effects will satisfy the readers.  
> Big thank you: to the mods for running the best exo fest and to my lovely beta(-readers): H&B! Without them this story would be much more messy, believe me.

Specks of dust were hitting Baekhyun’s face, trying to wipe out the wide grin on his face. But the sun was still barely touching the horizon’s line, the wind was still ruffling his hair and the air still smelled like an ocean and freedom. There was no way Baekhyun would stop smiling now. 

Baekhyun’s life didn’t have many constants and he preferred it that way. Freedom was a card given to the chosen ones and he wasn’t planning on handing it over anytime soon. Besides, the past had shown that if there was one thing he was bad at, it was following the rules and depending on boring routines. It was following the road and Baekhyun was used to cutting them short.

Taking a deep breath in, he closed the roof of his car, confining himself in the familiar space. Though the wind was now howling outside the vehicle, Baekhyun could still feel its traces across his skin, he could still feel it in his disheveled hair. He grinned at his reflection in the rearview mirror.

The look in his eyes, the twist of his features and the smile playing in the corners of his lips, made him look like a warning before a storm. Like thunder. 

Adrenaline rushed through his veins, as he pressed the accelerator with his feet. He didn’t want to be late for the race. 

* * *

The road was almost perfectly dry, despite Baekhyun’s doubts and concerns. He had underestimated the scorching summer’s sun once again. Without an ounce of hesitation, he took a sharp turn, making the wheels squeal. A new buzz of excitement was effervescing in his blood, making Baekhyun dizzy with the thrill. He glanced at the mirror, cautious of any lights that could appear behind the turn any moment. 

As expected, seconds later bright front lights of Jongin’s Mazda flashed aggressively in Baekhyun’s direction. The driver took a second to watch how the Mazda slowed down a little. Baekhyun smirked with satisfaction. He had a feeling that Jongin might try to copy his sharp turn, despite not being even half as good at it as Baekhyun. Younger drivers were always like that: cocky and daring until the safety was really at the stake. And perhaps it was for the best, Baekhyun knew his car better than he knew himself. He trusted his instincts and had an experience that allowed him to take risks from time to time. Especially on days like today when the roads weren’t too slippery from the rain. Whenever someone blamed his primal instincts for his adrenaline-starved part of the brain, he scoffed them away.

Baekhyun being an Alpha had nothing to do with him being a fantastic driver. The thrive for racing wasn’t wired into his DNA, it was all Baekhyun.

In a moment of fondness, he looked at the road ahead of him and the flashing in the distance were the lights of Seulgi’s Toyota. The so-called “secondary gender” had nothing to do with one’s driving skills. Seulgi was a Beta after all, if Baekhyun wasn’t mistaken, and she was racing like an absolute pro. Even losing against a racer like her was a privilege.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of catching up at least a little bit. Pressing the pedal with the heel of his feet, he watched the speed index jump hastily. The car purred beneath the mask and Baekhyun’s jaw tensed visibly, the adrenaline filling every fiber of his body. First drops of evening’s rain hit the front window of Baekhyun’s cherry-colored Subaru, pulling a semi-annoyed frown on his face. He wasn’t planning on giving up this fight.

The landscape around him flashed in a cacophony of cheers and echo of screeching tires. The distinguished scent of an upcoming storm and asphalt somehow could be smelt even inside the car. Baekhyun leaned a little bit forward and focused on the line of darkening horizon.

He arrived at the finish line as the second one but barely three seconds after Seulgi. The buzz was still thrumming through his veins when he smoothly parked the car right next to Seulgi’s Toyota. He lost but the difference was slim enough to allow him to stop in the central point of the parking lot.

The winner was already waiting for him, leaning over the hood of her car, gloriously glowing under the neon lights and draped with silverish drops of the rain. Her hair had already started sticking to her forehead. Baekhyun squeezed the wheel of his car, like he always did before a good race, and opened the door of the car. With the corner of his eye, he watched Jongin maneuvering his car to park in an appropriate distance from Baekhyun and Seulgi. Other cars were slowly filling the parking. The crowd was flocking from the rooftops of the bar and abandoned warehouses.

The air smelt like sweat, rain, and burned tires. 

“What’s good, loser?” Seulgi punched Baekhyun’s arm lightly when he neared. “You put up a good fight at the end. Maybe next time don’t slack at the beginning and, who knows, maybe one day you will defeat me.”

Baekhyun crossed arms over his chest, a teasing smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, fingers still tingling with adrenaline.

“I remember finishing first last month, Seulgi. Don’t think I will ever forget about that.” he raised his fingers and pointed at her accusingly. 

“It wasn’t an official race so it doesn’t count, Byun. Come on, even I know that!” laughed someone behind Baekhyun’s back and his shoulder immediately raised in alarm. 

Despite trying not to, he still spared one, single glance over his shoulder. Jongdae’s arm was thrown over Jongin’s nape, pulling his younger brother closer and ruffling his hair. Baekhyun rolled his eyes. 

“Why do you insist on bringing him with you every time, Jongin?” snarled Baekhyun, fixing his eyes back on Seulgi. He didn’t like the poorly hidden tease in her eyes. “He can’t possibly enjoy it _here_ , that good _fucking_ boy.” 

Someone smacked the back of Baekhyun’s head. It was probably Jongin, who despite having an actual devil incarnate as one of his brothers, seemed to adore said brother senseless. 

“He just needed someone to pick him up from work, Baekhyun,” said Jongin softly, the mellow melancholy of his voice instantly making Baekhyun feel bad about directing his annoyance at him. 

Jongin was just like that - soft edges and warm heart - until he was sitting behind a wheel. He still lacked Baekhyun’s confidence but it was obvious that he would end up being one of the top racers. Baekhyun never asked but there was a possibility that in a few years he would become one of the most successful Omegas that have ever raced illegally. And though society has long passed the phase when secondary genders determined one’s positions, the dark line that marked illegal activities was heavily dominated by Alphas and Betas. Or so the study showed. 

“Why? Did you, once again, want to be my ride instead, Byun?” Jongdae laughed, pulling Baekhyun back on earth, bringing him down as if he had a magnet that worked only on Baekhyun.

“Fuck you. As if I ever,” Baekhyun spluttered angrily. The adrenaline that managed to die by now, was warming up his body again. “You’re a fucking inconvenience and you know it.”

Jogndae raised an eyebrow mockingly and Baekhyun’s rage was turning marks in his soul like smouldering, long-forgotten fireworks. Baekhyun straightened up his back. _“Don’t let him assert dominance. It’s Jongdae.”_ he chanted mentally, looking Jongdae straight into the eyes, until he turned his gaze away for a moment. _“Ha!”_ Baekhyun praised himself quietly. _“It’s a win for Byun again, suck it, Kim!”_

And just like that, as if Jongdae could hear Baekhyun’s thoughts, his eyes bored into the Alpha again.

“Well, if I’m such an inconvenience then we must be a perfect match, right?” Jongdae cocked his head to the side, “You just see yourself in me. Explains your slight obsession.“ He added and stuck his tongue out.

Baekhyun was quite sure that there was smoke coming out of his ears.

“But why, Jongdae? You want us to be a match so bad?” he replied instead, his voice as sweet as honey and as fake as the gleam in his eyes, “Are you fantasies filled with us being cross-star lovers?” he sniggered, throwing his head back.

Jongdae rested his hand on his hip. The faintest hint of mockery twisting his lips and tongue. “As if, Byun. That would require two stars and clearly, I’m the only one here.” 

Baekhyun snorted and briefly looked back to check Seulgi’s reaction. A displeased growl escaped his lips when he realized that Jongdae and him were the only one left in the parking lot. The winner must have fled without him noticing. He fixed his eyes back at Jongdae.

“I wanted to talk to her a bit longer,” he grumbled.

“Tough shit, Byun. You’re not as interesting as you portray yourself.” Jongdae shrugged his arms and looked around, as if mirroring Baekhyun’s movement.

“Where’s Jongin then, huh?” the racer laughed breathily.

Jongdae caught his bottom lip with his teeth, exposing his sharp left canine. He had a habit to do that whenever he was a bit lost or confused. This information was securely stored at the bottom of Baekhyun’s brain in case of situations like this one.

“What?” Baekhyun asked again, this time his voice a bit softer. Just a little bit. Because Jongdae was still completely capable of taking care of things like that by himself. “He’s gone without taking you with him? Wasn’t he your ride?”

Jongdae eyed Baekhyun briefly and released his slightly abused lower lip.

“My little brother must have spotted Chanyeol somewhere in the crowd,” he said finally, a little bit strained. “Young love, you know how it is,” he chuckled forcefully, crossing arms on his chest. 

_“No, I don’t know.”_

“Yeah,” Baekhyun’s own laugh was just as awkward, “They seem to forget about the world around them when they see each other, don’t they?”

Delicate and faint drops of rain slowly started drumming rhythmically against the mask of Baekhyun’s car. It would pour any minute now. Jongdae’s eyes darted to the car and back to the highway. The racer swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“Your house is on my way,” Baekhyun spat out quickly before crossing the distance to his Subaru. “Get inside, Kim.” he nodded at the vehicle quickly before slipping inside.

Only when Jongdae was sitting safely next to him, he dared to add, “You owe me for that one too. You’re still in debt.” 

Jongdae snorted quietly, the way only he could. “Right… Make sure to remind me of that next time,” he looked at Baekhyun with the corners of his eyes, lips curling up involuntary. “I’m sure you’d hate it if I never paid it back.”

“Damn right,” Baekhyun hissed. The underlying laughter remained pushed back at the end of his throat for the rest of the drive.

* * *

Baekhyun remembered meeting Jongdae clearly. It was the first day of summer, the sun shining so bright that it seemed as if the road was wavering. In reality, the only thing that wavered was Baekhyun’s voice when he saw an unknown group approaching him and his little, baby Subaru.

He was with Seulgi back then. They weren’t a couple. Not quite. But they were something that’s for sure. Close enough for her to be resting on the Subaru’s backseat while Baekhyun washed the front window. 

Baekhyun remembered counting the people who had been moving closer. Four of them. Not enough for Baekhyun to be afraid for himself, enough for him to be afraid for his car. 

There were four people until the fifth stepped out of the worn-out Mitsubishi. Chanyeol. The muscles on Baekhyun’s back relaxed. If they were with Chanyeol, they were not a threat. Baekhyun fixed his gaze on the Subaru’s window again. Through the corner of his eyes, he noticed Seulgi stretching out her lithe body and slipping out of the car.

Truth to be told, once Baekhyun found out that the group included one wanna-be racer Jongin and his brother and friends, he had lost his interest completely. After all, there weren't many subjects they could entertain him with. Besides, as much as Baekhyun knew that he was popular, he wasn’t really looking for expanding his close friends’ circle. 

He was naive and stupid back then, Byun Baekhyun. He didn’t know that the lack of his interest pushed Jongdae towards him. Perhaps, if Baekhyun was a model citizen back then - no dark eyeliners and no annoyed sparks in his eyes - a certain Kim would never come even close to him.

But he did.

Baekhyun still remembered the streams of water flushing down the window: a little bit of white foam and a little bit of bubbles that would surely make his eyes burn. In fact, Jongdae had a similar effect on him. Baekhyun rinsed the sponge, straightened his back, already sensing the presence nearby. He looked at the window and instead of the perfectly darkened glass, reflecting the sun above them, he saw a smile so welcoming that it was mocking.

“You’re not a social butterfly, are you, Baekhyun?” his name rolled down Jongdae’s tongue like he said it thousands of times. It was the first and last time he addressed Baekhyun by his name.

“I have work to do, sweetcheeks,” Baekhyun shrugged, putting the sponge back to the water.

Jongdae burst into a loud and sharp laughter.

“Sweetcheeks?” he repeated after Baekhyun, making him instantly regret his choice of words. “Byun, you call me _sweetcheeks_ but it’s your cheeks that are burning.”

‘Baekhyun’ coming from Jongdae’s lips sounded sweet and almost tender, friendly, and promising. ‘Byun’ sounded like a promise too but it was a dark promise, a dare or challenge perhaps. And Baekhyun? He had always been a sucker for a good challenge. If Jongdae was his challenge this time, he would take it too.

“It’s the sun,” Baekhyun grumbled under his breath and rolled the sleeves of his t-shirt displaying his toned arms.

That had Jongdae snorting. “Are you trying to show off your strength like some caveman, Byun? Low blow,” he asked, raising his eyebrow in disgust. “I expected more from one of the top racers. Everybody can tell that you’re an Alpha anyway.” Jongdae waved his hand. 

“I rolled the sleeves because it’s fucking hot here, idiot.” Baekhyun hissed, heaving.

“Thank you,” Jongdae innocently battled his eyelashes and smiled.

“Wha- oh god! Would you stop that?” the heat on Baekhyun’s cheeks was spreading. But it was the heat. It _had_ to be the heat. 

His eyes involuntarily dropped to Jongdae’s feet and, as quickly as possible, travelled upwards to finally stop back at his face. Sometimes the appearance of the other person hinted something about their secondary gender but this time? Combined with Jongdae’s cockiness? Baekhyun had no clue _who_ exactly the enigma of Kim Jongdae was. Without thinking much he voiced this question out, as gentle as possible - it was still a private thing to share after all.

To Baekhyun’s utter surprise - Jongdae simply laughed.

“Does me being an alpha or a beta or an omega change anything though, Byun?” he shrugged lightly, “I won’t stop nonetheless.” his eyes narrowed sharply and his smirk grew wider, “Unless you asked because you’re interested.” 

Baekhyun sneered in genuine amusement.

“The only thing I’m interested in is beating you in whatever game you want to play.” he huffed proudly, brushing away the hair that fell on his forehead.

For the first time, since the beginning of the encounter Jongdae seemed at a loss of words. Just for a moment. Just for a second. But long enough for Baekhyun to notice and feel the warm lick of pride in his heart. The nag, the comment, the remark forming on his tongue, ready to slip, when suddenly Jongin’s honey voice cut through their bubble.

“Jongdae! We’re coming back, get over here!”

Jongdae looked over the shoulder at his brother and the rest of their group. Perhaps, Baekhyun was wrong but it looked like a flash of grimace appeared on his face. Wordlessly, the man waved at the group.

“A moment!” he yelled back and turned his attention back to Baekhyun. “Racers say ‘see you on the highway’, right Byun?” something in Jongdae’s eyes shimmered. 

“You’re not a racer,” Baekhyun replied, caught off-guard. 

It seemed to be the response Jongdae was waiting for, playing Baekhyun to fall straight into his traps. 

“That’s why I promise I’ll give you more opportunities to see me than on a highway,” Jongdae grinned widely and the smile itself squeezed all the oxygen out of Baekhyun’s lungs. To the point that they started burning when Jongdae turned around to walk away.

Without thinking much, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around Jongdae’s wrist. He could feel his pulse under the fingertips and for a split of a moment, Baekhyun wondered whether he could smell Jongdae if he brought his wrist to the nose. The thought itself was enough for him to let go of the wrist. 

Jongdae halted. He stopped, He turned. Maybe his blood ran cold. Maybe he felt offended. He turned around and looked at Baekhyun again. The edge in his eyes was a little bit softened. 

They stood still for a moment just looking at each other. Only once the sound of Jongin’s roaring engine cut the silence, they snapped out of the trance. Jongdae watched his brother’s car drive away with a screech of the wheels and Baekhyun listened to Chanyeol's laughter. He thought that at the back of the car, he could also see Seulgi’s long ponytail. 

It was the first time Baekhyun had to drive Jongdae back home. 

* * *

The workshop was a much harder place to handle than Baekhyun had initially thought but he wouldn’t trade that job for another no matter what. Becoming a manager had always been on his bucket list, along with car racing so a car workshop seemed like a perfect solution. When Yixing reached out to him, asking if Baekhyun was interested, he didn’t think twice and accepted the offer on the spot.

Usually, Baekhyun knew exactly how to deal with all kinds of problems. Both, when it came to cars and human resources. Sometimes, however, sometimes reality managed to color him stoked. And today was one of these days.

With a mixture of awe and anger, he watched Kim Jongdae carefully pull Jongin’s car over, stopping in front of the workshop. The front window was rolled down, revealing the bare forearm and leather stripes that Jongdae wore around his wrists. Baekhyun’s blood filled up with adrenaline and the purest hellfire. Too often Byun Baekhyun forgot that Jongdae in fact had a driving license - he just didn’t have a car, claiming it’s an unnecessary expense. 

He was sure that Jongdae hadn’t noticed him yet, seeing that Baekhyun was securely hidden on the second floor and behind a shield made of glass. As fast as possible, the alpha tried to patch up the poor excuse of an armour that kept his ego safe.

Jongdae closed the door of Jongin’s baby-blue Mazda (a color hardly appropriate for racing but very appropriate for Jongin). Baekhyun flinched. He was pretty sure that Jongdae slammed the door a little bit too hard. 

Baekhyun blinked and Jongdae walked into the workshop, making him invisible from Baekhyun’s prying eyes. Invisible but still bringing nothing but destruction - that’s for sure. Running a hand through his messy hair, Baekhyun rushed downstairs, leaving the completion of Joohyun’s order for later. He arrived at the main room of the workshop to see Minseok animatedly explaining something to a smiling Jongdae.

Jongdae never smiled at Baekhyun like that. He always smiled with intention brimming his eyes. A smile in theory but a smirk in practice. A smile only Baekhyun could decode. A smile but an invitation. A smile that was hiding something in the shadows - perhaps a knife, poison may be too. 

But right now Jongdae smiled at Minseok in a completely different way. In a way, Baekhyun forgot Jongdae could smile. There was no shadow in this smile - just unrestrained and light like a feather. Baekhyun’s nose scrunched. 

“What are you doing here, Jongdae?” He never referred to Jongdae by ‘Kim’ because he knew many Kims and only one Jongdae. 

Jongdae’s eyes flickered to him for a moment but, to Baekhyun’s disappointment, there was no annoyance in that look.

“I brought you Nini’s car. He wanted to get the oil changed before the weekend's race.” Jongdae replied easily, bringing his attention back to Minseok. “You can go back, Byun. I’m not planning to set your workshop on fire.”

Hearing that Minseok decided to pop into the conversation again. As if he didn’t know better how to deal with the mess Kim Jongdae was and the danger he could cause.

“Yeah, I was explaining to Jongdae that he could wait until we change it but it may take a while because I’m not sure where we put it. It would be easier if he just left the car overnight,” Minseok pointed out, his eyes already focused on the storage door. 

Something didn’t click for Baekhyun and his eyebrows furrowed. Minseok was a skilled mechanic. Even if he had trouble with finding the matching oil, the whole process wouldn’t take longer than an hour.

“But I came here by car,” Jongdae whined softly, his voice invading Baekhyun’s thoughts. “Damn, Nini, and his big eyes,” he added, crossing arms on his chest. 

The puzzles hopped on their rightful places in Baekhyun’s brain.

“I can give you a ride back home.” The offer was out there hanging under the ceiling now. Baekhyun was sure he never opened his mouth but he sure as hell heard his own voice.

Minseok sent a dirty grin his way, while Jongdae’s left canine sank in his lower lip. Baekhyun wondered if it would ever break the tender skin that was there. 

“I wanted to drop something at Jongin’s anyway,” Baekhyun coughed awkwardly, “I need him to sign some papers.” 

He prayed for Jongdae not to point out that Jongin might as well sign them the following day. Seeing as he would be at the workshop anyway. 

Finally, the canine unhooked and Jongdae’s lips returned to their original curled-up shape. Teasing and bitter but familiar to Baekhyun. The metal pendant hanging on one of Jongdae’s leather stripes rang as Jongdae rested his hand on the mask of Minseok’s car. Baekhyun wondered if it would leave an imprint there too because his own car was wearing imprints of Jongdae’s hands everywhere.

“Grab the keys then, Byun. Unless you want me to drive your cherry monstrosity.” Jongdae snorted, before leaning over to sign one more thing. “Careful because I might just pop this cherry, you know” he straightened with his eyes shining brighter than Minseok’s Mitsubishi. 

The empty space inside Baekhyun’s chest, filled with a seething fire. The flames between his teeth hissed, but Jongdae was already on his way out.

Minseok gently patted Baekhyun’s shoulder and pushed the keys into his palm.

“You’re welcome, boss,” he added, but it was quiet enough for Baekhyun to dismiss it as a flicker of his own imagination. 

* * *

Baekhyun had a secret he wouldn’t tell anyone, not even his best friend, not his racing squad and certainly not his enemies. According to one of the most popular rumors, the thing that turned Baekhyun on was his own car. His ex-lovers used to tell lavishing stories about how Baekhyun wouldn’t fuck them until they mentioned his precious red-painted baby. He never argued with those rumors, he never tried denying them.

Because he preferred the truth to remain hidden. Buried deep down under the heavy fumes and sticky car oil. Locked so deep that no one but him had access to lift its lid. 

Baekhyun stepped into the flat, throwing the keys on the table. The anger was still sweeping through his veins, keeping his body stiff and muscles tense. His teeth were still grinding against each other and his nostrils were still widened up. Sometimes one comment, one snarl, and one snigger were enough to ignite the fire within Baekhyun’s soul. Sometimes one lost race and one absent person who didn’t witness that was enough to make Baekhyun feel like exploding. And there was only one way to let out the steam without putting his car in danger.

The leather jacket hanging over Baekhyun’s board shoulders was carelessly thrown on the sofa, followed by its owner's frustrated sigh. The keys to the car slipped out of the pocket and fell on the ground but Baekhyun paid them no attention. The air around him was crackling with anticipation and anger.

Without sparing a glance at the left-over pizza on the table, Baekhyun swiftly moved to his tiny bedroom, unbuckling his belt on his way there. His nerves were still spiked, his fingers still curled up and his lower stomach was already dripping with liquid fire. Feeling as if he was about to _burn down_ from the inside Baekhyun finally unzipped his jeans and shoved his hand into his boxers, feeling the familiar heat under his fingertips. 

Every time he promised himself that this time he would live up to the rumors. That this time his sexy baby running on fuel and adrenaline would be enough. It never was, no matter how much he tried. 

Half-laying on the bed, Baekhyun focused on the pressure of his own fingers against his hard-on. It was his own dick, god damn it! Who knew how to touch it better than himself. The frustration was slowly pushing angry tears into the corners of Baekhyun’s eyes.

Why couldn’t he just get off in solitude of his own mind-space? Why couldn’t his alpha mind just provide anything that would help him get off?

 _“Oh, but I can.”_ replied his hormone-drunk brain before conducting one memory and one vision.

_In the rearview mirror flashed the sight of curled up lips and eyes folded like crescents. All the space locked by the darkened windows of Baekhyun’s Subaru was filled with a loud, teasing laughter._

The memory of a sound so hot that it matched up to the heat beneath Baekhyun’s finger. 

Seconds later he was coming. Angry, frustrated, not fulfilling, and knotless orgasm. Not the first one and certainly not the last one. 

Every cell in Baekhyun’s body was burning and he could feel the drops of rut slowly turning his insides upside down.

“Ah, it makes sense…” he murmured to himself. 

He was taking suppressants but the rut-period always left him a little bit restless and plenty horny. Mostly unsatisfied too. He could probably make a call to one of his flings, and there was a good chance that at least one of them would be eager to help him through a night or two.

Baekhyun fought off the urge to roll on his stomach. He didn’t want to make a bigger mess than he already did. Not to mention that with his dick, still awkwardly half-hard, he’d cause himself more discomfort than relief. Baekhyun sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes, feeling the dampness of his own eyelashes. 

Why, out of all people, it was Kim Jongdae who held the power over Baekhyun? What did Kim Jongdae have that no one else had?

Logically speaking, there weren’t many things that Baekhyun knew about Jongdae. Hell. He didn’t even know whether he was an omega, beta, or alpha. Knowing Jongdae he could easily be any of the listed. He was a mixture of a fiery temper, bitter-sweet sarcasm, and soft worry. He had a habit of biting his lips when he was confused and he laughed way too loud at corny jokes. He wore leather straps around his wrists. He had a driving license but didn’t have a car. He worked in a tiny publishing company as an editor. He liked his soups cold and his noodles hot. He had a sweet tooth but despised bear jellies. Logically speaking there weren’t many things that Baekhyun knew about Jongdae, but what he knew seemed to be more than enough.

Baekhyun covered his eyes with his forearm and let out a loud “tsk”.

“So this is how it is…” he mumbled quietly into the eerie darkness of the room. He was thankful for the lack of light. Because under the plain sun and artificial lamps, he wouldn’t be able to fool anyone with the deep blush, growing on his cheeks with the speed of a racing Subaru. 

* * *

Baekhyun didn’t exactly remember when or where he exchanged numbers with Jongdae but it happened at some point in the past. They never called each other, never texted each other, and Jongdae’s number was simply chilling in Baekhyun’s contact list. Once or twice he considered using it. Asking a simple “don’t spoil my race tonight” or “is nini down for next weekend?” has always been a possibility Baekhyun considered. But he always brushed those thoughts away, labeling his ideas as awkward and cringy.

He remembered that one time he opened a chat with Jongdae and the three bubbles appeared on Jongdae's side. As if he was the one who was about to message Baekhyun. The bubbles disappeared faster than a blink of an eye and Baekhyun disregarded it as his faulty sight.

The point was that despite having each other numbers, they never used them in any way.

That’s why Baekhyun’s heart practically stopped when he saw a flash of a familiar name on his screen. His fingers folded into fists and he tried to busy himself with counting to ten, in case it was a mistake, in case it was a misclick. 

But even after ten seconds, Jongdae’s name was still glowing at Baekhyun from the screen of his own phone. He picked up the phone. 

“Baekhyun speaking,” he said nonchalantly in case Jongdae hadn’t realized who he was calling. 

“Baekhyun,” replied a soft laugh coming from the other side of the phone and Baekhyun’s heart leaped out of his chest.

Maybe he should be suspicious, maybe he should hang up. He didn’t.

“Jongdae,” the name malted against his tongue. “What’s up?” 

“I wasn’t sure if you’re driving.” Jongdae laughed hoarsely. His usually smooth voice cracked a little bit at the end. 

“I was actually about to hit the road,” Baekhyun’s tongue felt numb. Something was off. He could hear that in Jongdae’s breathing. He could picture Jongdae biting his lip. 

“To pick me up?” not a tease, not a question, but a plea. Perfectly hidden but a plea nonetheless.

Baekhyun gulped, his blood running cold.

“Yeah,” he nodded to no one in particular and hastily grabbed the keys laying on the table. “Could you remind me of the address once again? I think I forgot to write it down.” 

“The first petrol station on the Road 57, the one where you always gear up before racing. Seriously, how could you forget?” Jongdae clicked his tongue. The sound popped in Baekhyun’s ears. “Don’t worry too much about time but I’d rather not wait a full evening.”

“Copy that.” replied Baekhyun swiftly, opening the door of his Subaru. 

As soon as the engine started, he pressed his heel against the gas pedal.

The road was as dusty as always but this time the ground and sand instead of reminding of copper and gold, reminded Baekhyun of something disgusting like rage. He had no idea why Jongdae called him out of all people but everything about the situation screamed odd and worrying. A series of different scenarios were running through Baekhyun’s head and all of them made the hair on his nape stand up.

The petrol station was shining under the orange sun rays of sunset like an orange. Big, ugly, metallic orange. The parking lot was almost empty, that much Baekhyun could tell from the distance. He could also tell that there was a group of people occupying the picnic table nearby and something about it irked him. 

The Subaru smoothly parked in the middle of the parking lot a few minutes later. Baekhyun took a deep breath and rolled up the sleeves of his t-shirt. The sun was setting but the air was still crusty with heat and dry with hovering specks of dust. He hooked the sunglasses over the neckline of his t-shirt and stepped out of the car.

First he heard Jongdae’s loud voice, then he saw his waving hand.

“Baekhyun! Over here!” Jongdae greeted loudly, waving frantically.

As if Baekhyun ever had troubles seeing him. His eyes furrowed a little bit.

Jongdae wasn’t a tall man but today he looked almost tiny. Despite sitting on the top of the picnic table, surrounded by five other men - all glaring at Baekhyun - Jongdae appeared to be really small. Small and uncomfortable. 

Baekhyun forced his lips to spread in a fake smile, as his eyes quickly checked Jongdae for any injuries. Taking long strolls closer, he sighed out with relief. There were no visible cuts or bruises. He could cross that off his “disaster that could possibly happen” list. 

One step forward, two steps forward, three steps forward.

It took Baekhyun three more steps to realize what was going on. He deeply breathed in the scent of burning pinewood and sour apples. His jaw clenched and the smile on his face grew tenser. Someone could smell that intensively only when they were entering either heat or rut. He spared a glance at the strangers flocking to Jongdae like moths. Neither of them looked like an omega which meant… Baekhyun sharply sucked in a breath, hoping Jongdae wouldn’t take a notice of that. 

Swallowing the lump in his throat he once again focused on the men - _disgusting, completely not respecting Jongdae’s personal boundaries, with intent in their eyes_. They didn’t look like they were willing to pick a fight if Baekhyun wanted to take Jongdae. Perhaps they weren’t even dangerous but the tense line of Jongdae’s shoulders indicated that he was ready to start running any second soon. Baekhyun padded closer, subtly touching his neck to see if his scent-concealing pads were in check. He would hate to irritate Jongdae’s already scrunching nose even more.

“You guys kept Jongdae company, I see,” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, his eyes rolling from one stranger to another.

They stirred uncomfortably, clearly sensing Baekhyun’s displeasure.

“We had no idea that…” started one of them, but the racer waved him off. 

“It wasn’t a question,” he sighed and reached out, crooking the tips of his fingers a little bit, hoping that the gesture looked open and inviting. His eyes bore into Jongdae once again, 

“Coming with me?” 

The nervousness swirling in Jongdae’s eyes was almost unbearable. Couldn’t he just take _the goddamn_ hand? Jongdae’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he gave Baekhyun a single nod. More than he had ever given since they met. 

One would expect that Jongdae would take Baekhyun’s hand carefully. Tentatively. Especially considering the situation. Especially considering that their skin never really met. Not with intention at least. One would expect Jongdae to be careful around Baekhyun, because even though Baekhyun was Baekhyun, he was also many more things. One would expect so but they would be wrong.

Jongdae firmly grabbed Baekhyun’s outstretched hand, digging his short nails into the skin as if he wanted to break it open. Or perhaps to remind Baekhyun that Jongdae was still Jongdae, despite many other things.

“Let’s go,” he breathed out and took a step forward. Until the last moment Baekhyun thought that their chest would collide but he should have known better. He missed him by inches but inches were more than enough to remind Baekhyun who they were, among many other things. 

For a split of a second that shouldn’t happen Baekhyun watched Jongdae stroll towards the car as if nothing happened. But his footsteps were a little bit too loud. His pace was a little bit too fast to be considered normal. 

“God, he has nerves made out of steel.” he whispered under his breath.

As if he had heard that Jongdae glanced over his shoulder, looking almost bored. Only the slightest tremble of his bottom lip, told Baekhyun of his distress. It was weird seeing Jongdae vulnerable like this. 

“If you decided to stay here instead at least give me the keys, loser,” he whined loudly, shattering whatever vulnerable picture Baekhyun had in his head. As if it wasn’t enough he waved briefly at the men still sitting on the picnic table. “Bye, guys, see you around!” he whooped as a goodbye and only because Baekhyun was already jogging his way, he could see Jongdae’s lips moving in a quiet, “Hope I’ll never see you again, _fucking_ punks can’t leave you _fucking_ alone, glued like _fucking_ moths to a flypaper or whatever.” 

It was the first time Jongdae didn’t protest when Baekhyun opened the backdoor for him. Usually, he always whined, complaining how unfair it was and how he deserved to sit next to Baekhyun on the front seat. This time, however, he made no sound, not even a single displeased huff. He silently slid to the back of the car, allowing the door to close behind him with a smooth _click_. 

Baekhyun shuddered at the scent of burning pinewood and apples wavered through the air. He took a deep breath-in trying to clear out his mind. It was a pleasant combination of scents. Fresh and dynamic but also cozy and somewhat quiet...It suited Jongdae’s personality. 

Brushing these thoughts to the back of his head, storing them for later even if he wasn’t sure what for, Baekhyun settled in the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. The leather over the driving wheel felt reassuring under his fingertips. His thumb lingered over the worn out pendant hanging from his car-keys. The car murmured quietly, declaring that it’s ready to go. Baekhyun turned on the aircon, making sure to keep the air circulated nicely. He was painfully aware that the scent of burning pinewood would probably imprint into his car seats for a while, but wasn’t sure how it made him feel. 

The road was almost empty. Baekhyun’s eyes travelled to the rear-view mirror. 

Jongdae’s head was leaning against the top of the car seat, exposing the golden column of his neck and emphasising the cut of his shirt’s neckline. His eyes were closed, eyelashes casting a shadow down Jongdae’s high cheekbones. He would look at peace if it wasn’t clear how deeply and heavily he was breathing. 

It was one of the most private moments he might have ever witnessed. 

Baekhyun gulped, unable to tear his gaze away.

Jongdae peaked open one of his eyes and the corner of his lips twitched up.

“Eyes on the road, nasty,” he dwelled, voice vowels slurring ever so slightly, but the tease still ever-so permanent. 

Baekhyun held the challenging gaze for almost three seconds, before his eyes turned back to the road. Jongdae huffed out a sigh. Maybe he was tired, maybe he was disappointed. Baekhyun would never know. Maybe a mixture of both. He didn’t dare to check if Jongdae closed his eyes again.

“Aren’t you gonna say something, Byun? Share your wisdom with us,” his voice laced through the dull sound of an engine again. 

_Why did he always have to be so goddamn difficult?_ Baekhyun sighed loudly and tentatively glanced at the rear-view mirror. Jongdae’s slightly hooded eyes had already been waiting for him. Setting a fire underneath Baekhyun’s skin.

“Come on, Baekhyun.” Jongdae hissed with a smile on his face. “Both you and I know that it’s something to be acknowledged out loud.” 

The leather covering driving wheel dipped under the pressure of Baekhyun’s thumbs. He rolled his eyes and exhaled through his nose. 

“You’re an omega. I didn’t know that,” he gulped but his mouth felt like a desert anyway. Words brushed against his throat like a scraping paper. 

“Aye,” Jongdae laughed quietly, the underlying strain in his voice clear and sound. “There are many things you don’t know about me, Byun though. You’d pick on me over any other thing, so why not this?” 

All roads at the outskirts were empty. Baekhyun stopped at the red light anyway and took that chance to turn around. He didn’t expect Jongdae to be leaning forward. He didn’t expect to meet face to face with Jongdae slowly melting into heat. The dark browns of his eyes slowly turned warm. 

“I am an asshole to you but despite what you’d like to believe I still-” Baekhyun stopped abruptly not sure how to end the sentence? That he still cherished him? That he refused to be shitty over something Jongdae had no control over? That he could understand why this information was kept private?

He wished he picked something faster because Jongdae’s face turned dark and he chose his own truth. Baekhyun could tell what it was even before Jongdae opened his mouth.

“But you still treat omegas differently, or what? Fuck you, Byun,” Jongdae snarled, leaning away and crossing arms over his heaving chest. “This is exactly why I never tell people I’m an omega. Because of people like _you_.” 

And, oh, it stung _hard_.

Baekhyun’s nostrils flared up. He could feel the anger bubbling in his veins and pricking through his skin. Jongdae shifted on his seat, he could feel that too. Clenching his teeth, Baekhyun spat his hand over his scent patches, trying to keep the scent from slipping into the air. 

“Why do you _always_ fucking misunderstand _everything_ , Kim Jongdae?” he spat angrily, blinking the redness of his eyes away, praying to whatever deities he could name for his canines to stay intact. 

Jongdae eyebrows furrowed in anger and he leaned forward once again. A barely visible twist of pain flashed through his eyes. 

“Because you never fucking explain. Because you always fight back and burn back and slap back no matter if it’s a question or an advice or a fucking hello!” Jongdae hissed, words coming from his parted lips like an avalanche of flowers. 

“Well, you’re not the most inviting person in the world either,” Baekhyun shook his head angrily, fingers drumming against his thigh. “You could hold it back sometimes, try to be softer. 

Jongdae’s eyes widened abruptly and something new and cold overtook the warmth of his eyes. Baekhyun looked away. He had no idea where he made a mistake.

“Fucking look at me.” Jongdae said slowly and it felt like he took Baekhyun’s chin between his fingers and forced him back. “I. Am. Not. Weak.” he punctuated every word. “I wasn’t weak before so I’m not weak now.” 

A strained laughter threatened to escape from Baekhyun’s mouth. He pulled it back, made it blow his heart out with the ridiculousness of what Jongdae had said.

“Not even once did I think that you’re weak. Not in the past, not now and not in the future.” Baekhyun replied instead. “Gods, Jongdae. You’re a fucking dynamite!” his lips quirked upwards and he looked at the low ceiling of his car. “I don’t want to fight with you, I just try to shield myself from the sheer explosion that you are before you blow up in my face.” 

For a moment the world was nothing but the shadow of burning pinewood and but a murmur of a cherry-pink Subaru. 

Jongdae leaned back. His head rested on the side of the car’s head holder. 

“I’d never blow up in your face.” his cheek pressed against the leather, making the words crumble together. Whether it was intention or not - Baekhyun couldn’t tell. “I’m not…” he continued slowly, “I like teasing you, I like playing along the joke and skimming over the line that divides something decent from…” his Adam’s apple bobbed and he swallowed the saliva, “I just- I just-” his eyelids fluttered, “I don’t want to be constantly fighting with you but you have to understand that I’m not soft in a way certain people sometimes want me to be. I’ve always been like that.”

“I don’t mind,” the words slipped past Baekhyun’s lips before he realized. “I don’t mind it at all. You’re… special. A person like you would piss me off endlessly but you somehow make it… well, you’re still annoying but not _insufferable_.”

Jongdae laughed quietly. He laughed like that in Baekhyun’s dreams. Sometimes in his nightmares too.

“Geez, thanks.” Jongdae’s tongue wettened the bottom line of his lips. It was almost as pink as Baekhyun’s obnoxious Subaru. He took another breath in, shoulder shaking violently as if he wanted to say more on the matter but choose against. “The light’s green, By- Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun felt himself shaking in a silent giggle. The uncertainty in Jongdae’s voice made the burn inside his chest smoother at the edges. Less painful, less dangerous. More like the burn of adrenaline that filled his body during the races. 

“Hey, Baekhyun?” Jongdae started tentatively after a couple of minutes. His voice was much more quiet and almost velvety.

Baekhyun hummed in response, sparing Jongdae a glance. His eyes were closed but there was a strain on his forehead. As if he tried his best to prevent himself from looking. 

“You won’t treat me in a different way, will you? Now that you know I’m an omega...” Jongdae’s canine hooked over his lower lip. This time he wasn’t lost, nor confused, he was simply open and vulnerable. At least that’s how he felt. 

“You may believe what you want to believe, Jongdae, but I’m not that type of person.” Baekhyun flipped on the right turn signal, thankful that he could put his hands on something instead of playing with them. “I don’t judge. I don’t even care that much. So no, I certainly won’t treat you in a different way because of that.” 

He could see in the mirror’s reflection that Jongdae’s lips curled up in a soft smile.

* * *

The air still smelled like burning tires when Baekhyun pushed a soft bundle into Jongin’s arms. The race has barely come to an end but Baekhyun felt that he couldn’t wait any second longer. He kept _that_ for a week, laying securely at the back of his car, adding more flavour to the shadowy scent of burning pinewood and apples. A week too long.

Jongin’s eyebrows knitted between his eyes as he looked between Baekhyun and the sweater in his hands with confusion.

“What’s that?” he asked, genuinely surprised, carefully unfolding the cloth.

“A sweater.” Baekhyun scoffed in response, making an incoherent gesture with his hand. His cheeks were still flushed after the race. 

“That is see…” Jongin trailed, tilting his head up to meet Chanyeol halfway for a kiss. 

“That’s not your sweater though.” Chanyeol chipped in, pecking Jongin’s lips once again. “Unless, you really want to change your style.” he wiggled his eyebrows and touched one of the sleeves.

“Idiot, of course it’s not mine” Baekhyun stuck out his tongue and - not quite knowing why - ripped the sweater away from Jongin’s and Chanyeol’s hands. “It’s Jongdae’s.” he added in a much smaller voice.

“Ah, it’s _Jongdae’s_.” Chanyeol grinned widely and Baekhyun shuddered. He didn’t like that knowing look. “He left it when he was staying over?” 

“No. Gods, you always have the weirdest ideas.” replied Baekhyun immediately, startling a chuckle out of Chanyeol. “I just…” he fiddled with a sleeve “Jongin, could you give it back to him, since I _can’t_?” 

Jongin’s face lightened up in a silent understanding. He quickly grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist, shooing Chanyeol away, he pulled the racer to the side. His eyes were wide with excitement. He made sure to stop far away from the crowd, as if its roaring wasn’t enough of a smoke shield for them. He looked around, wary of unwanted intruders, before turning back to Baekhyun, looking more smug than ever.

“I totally forgot that you’re on our boat now!” was the first thing that Jongin declared, pointing at the sweater in Baekhyun’s hands.

“Excuse me?” 

“Oh, you know…” Jongin trailed off, before leaning closer, “You know that Jongdae’s an O now.” he added and moved away wiggling his eyebrows playfully. 

Baekhyun flushed slightly. He could have assumed that Jongdae would tell his younger brother about that, but he was still a little bit shocked. In the end, he shrugged trying to come across as nonchalant. 

“Yeah, it happened,” Baekhyun said. The dryness was already scraping against his throat, as the memories flew through his head. After all, it still was pretty personal and intimate to be around an omega coming into heat. “I just happened to be there. Thank gods for that, actually.”

Jongin had a nerve to giggle. Fucking giggle.

“ _Happened_ to be there, sure. Lucky _coincidences_!” he crossed his arms on his chest. For a couple of seconds he observed Baekhyun playing with one of the buttons of the sweater, before clicking his tongue. “You actually don’t know why Jongdae was at the petrol station back then? All alone?”

“I didn’t ask. It’s not my business anyway,” Baekhyun shook his head. He didn’t keep a track on what Jongdae was doing in his freetime. All he knew was that, in the end, he always landed in the middle of Baekhyun’s way. “Besides, there were more urging matters to take care of.”

The world went still for a moment. Even the voices from the distance went quieter. As if everything was trying to tell Baekhyun that he was missing something out. He raked through his brain trying to find any excuse to why Jongdae could have been there on that particular day. Jongin shook his head, ending Baekhyun’s misery. 

“He was sure that the heat wouldn’t start until one or two days later, so he was pretty confident about going. That’s what he told me yesterday at least.” he explained hastily, “But, truth to be told, it’s also partially my fault. I forgot to tell him that the racing planned for that day was postponed…” he finished, looking expectedly. 

Baekhyun snorted with amusement, “I will never understand his weird fixation with racing.” he rubbed the sweater between his fingers, a tiny smile settling in the corners of his lips. “Like, we all know that he’s not even into racing.” 

Shaking his head Jongin sighed heavily and mumbled something that Baekhyun didn’t catch under his breath. 

“Weird indeed,” he said at the end, looking to the side and trying to find Chanyeol in the thinning crowd. His boyfriend waved at him from the distance, “Listen, Baekhyun. I don’t know when I will be seeing Jongdae again, but I know for sure that during his heats he’s staying at Jun’s, so you’re free to drop the sweater there. I can text you the address.” 

Something shrieked in Baekhyun’s bones and burned beneath his skin. Hot blood swooshed in his ears. His fingers twitched and he subconsciously tightened the grip on the sweater. 

“Jun?” he repeated breathily.

“You are truly hopeless,” Jongin rolled his eyes and gestured dismissively, “Jun as in Junmyeon. Our older brother. Jongdae’s always staying with him and Yixing during his heats. That way he doesn’t have to worry about food and stuff like that.”

The blood slushed back into Baekhyun’s heart. He swallowed the remaining sour jealousy gathering on his tongue.

“Right…” he drawed the vowels to punctuate his neutrality on the matter, “You sure you can’t drop it there yourself?” 

Jongin shook his head and gently tapped Baekhyun’s chest. “No and I think that you should do it. Don’t make it seem like you’re avoiding Jongdae now. He would be…” his eyebrows knitted again, “He’s not like me. I’m very confident as an omega. And he is too but in a completely different way. It’s more _personal_ to him. Remember that he called you, of all people, don’t screw it up.” 

Baekhyun’s fingers dug into the sweater. He wasn’t planning on screwing this up.

* * *

Somewhere at the back of his head Baekhyun knew that Jongdae had two brothers. But seeing that Junmyeon was barely mentioned and Baekhyun had never really met him, he had no idea what to expect. The address that Jongin provided, made Baekhyun land in the middle of a brand-new neighbourhood with security gates and discreet cameras. Baekhyun’s cherry-pink Subaru looked even more out of place than usual. Even indirectly, Kim Jongdae couldn’t make his life easier. 

Straightening his back, Baekhyun firmly pressed the number next to neatly engraved “Kim & Zhang”. In his humble opinion it sounded more like a name of a law office than a married couple, but who was he to judge.

Deep down he knew that the chance for Jongdae to open the door was pretty thin - considering that he was still probably recovering after the heat - but his heart still dropped when the door was opened by a stranger. His resemblance to Jongdae and Jongin wasn’t clear at the first glance but there was a twinkle in his eyes that Baekhyun had seen before. It must be Junmyeon. 

He wasn’t tall but everything about him screamed “respectful and respected”. Despite being at home he had a scent concealing patches put beneath his ears - a sign that Jongdae was still most likely under his roof. And even if, by any chance, Baekhyun had any doubts on Junmyeon’s secondary gender, now he was pretty sure that he was the only one out of Kim brothers who was an alpha.

“May I help you?” His voice caught Baekhyun off-guard for a moment. It was much more mellow and softer than expected. Somehow it made Junmyeon even more intimidating: he was nothing but soft voice, serious conversations and threads he could have a power to fulfill. 

Baekhyun licked his lips, feeling his confidence slipping. 

“I came to return Jongdae’s sweater. Jongin sent me here.” he said tentatively.

Upon hearing that, a wide smile broke on Junmyeon’s face, crinkling his eyes and emphasizing his cheeks. 

“Ah! Nini mentioned that you’d come!” he clapped his hands with delight, “You must be Baekhyun then. I’m Junmyeon, the oldest of the _Kim bros_.”

Something in the way he spoke the last words, ensured Baekhyun that Junmyeon was very proud of that name. He added “deep down: a silly” to the tiny list of things he learnt about Jongdae’s oldest brother.

Baekhyun mirrored a smile, feeling a little bit more relaxed.

“Yes, that’s me. I’m Baekhyun.” he laughed awkwardly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “And that’s Jongdae’s sweater.” he added, reaching out to hand over said cloth.

Junmyeon took it from Baekhyun and hung it on a hanger behind him, before turning his attention back to the visitor. It didn’t slip Baekhyun’s attention that he was standing in a way that blocked the view for the rest of the apartment. Junmyeon crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against the door’s frame. Despite the fact that he was very subtle about it, Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel as if he was being briefly examined. 

“So, Baekhyun…” started Junmyeon with a tiny smile in the corner of his lips. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. With how much my brothers mention you, you’d expect that we would have met earlier.” he trailed off, tilting his head to the side. 

Baekhyun flushed slightly under the attentive yet welcoming gaze. 

“Ah, well I hope that they spoke nothing but good things.” he replied mustering his courage as if he was a hormonal teenager going through a shy phase.

Junmyeon’s smile grew wider but - at the same time - more warm and playful.

“Hard to tell. I’m not sure if you’re a good influence on my brother,” he teased lightly, his eyes filling up with more twinkles. 

“Jongin’s been into racing before he met me!” Baekhyun raised his hands innocently, a grin subconsciously making its way on his face.

Junmyeon’s almond eyes travelled up, as if he was asking heavens for patience. He sighed softly and shook his head gently.

“I didn’t exactly mean _Nini_ ,” he breathed out, looking at Baekhyun with half-lidded eyes.

“I didn’t steal the sweater, he left it in my car!” Baekhyun shrieked nervously, startling a chuckle out of Junmyeon.

“Oh, I know. It’s just up for a debate whether he left it there by an accident or not,” he grinned, obviously entertained with the exchange. “We would ask Jongdae right now but… he’s still very much my brother and as much as teasing him is fun, it’s my duty to keep him safe when he is vulnerable.” his voice hardened slightly and the look in his eyes became more serious. 

“Of course,” Baekhyun found himself nodding automatically. He would not want to work for this man, it was probably impossible to say ‘no’ to him. 

Baekhyun found himself wanting to add more. He wanted to reassure Junmyeon that he understood and confirm that he would never put a finger of Jongdae against his will. And maybe Junmyeon even waited for him to say that, but all of sudden a loud whine reached their ears and hair on Baekhyun’s nape raised.

“Myeonnie, who’s that?” Jongdae cried faintly, loud enough for Baekhyun’s sensitive ears but completely away from the range of his sight. Something in his chest throbbed. 

Junmyeon glanced between Baekhyun and whatever he could see behind. 

“It’s Baekhyun, he came to return your sweater, Dae…” Junmyeon replied, pitching his voice much softer than before.

For a long moment, a pregnant silence fell between the three of them. Baekhyun subtly stood on the tips of his toes, trying to see something over Junmyeon’s shoulder. He only hoped that the other wouldn’t notice his movement. For a split of a second, someone with pale face and messy hair flashed behind the corner of the corridor. Baekhyun’s heart ached a little. He planted the heels of his feet back on the floor. 

Gathering every single bit of confidence he had left after facing Junmyeon, Baekhyun took a deep breath-in and said loudly:

“Hi Jongdae!”

His heart beat an embarrassing amount of times before he heard a much smaller “Hello, Baekhyun!” in return.

Junmyeon was looking at him with poorly hidden interest. As if he was a replacement for Jongdae’s eyes.

“No need to thank me for the sweater!” Baekhyun laughed breathily. Something was pulsating violently inside his chest. Somewhere under many layers of everyday life traces, he could smell a hint of heavy pinewood and apples. If he was closer he would be able to taste the scent on his tongue.

Another agonising heartbeat.

“Maybe, I will thank you properly when we can meet like _normal_ people.”

Baekhyun snorted loudly, sure of that Jongdae would hear that too.

“Prepare for extra-thanking because I washed it too!” he added proudly, “I’m just that good.”

Jongdae let out a choked sound, it appeared much closer than before. A hand flashed behind Junmyeon snatching the sweater from the hanger.

“It smells like you now, geez, thanks.” Jongdae cried faintly, almost breathlessly. Junmyeon instantly turned around. His eyes widened slightly and he quickly looked back at Baekhyun.

“As much as it was very sweet to watch, Jongdae definitely needs a break now.” Junmyeon announced sternly, Jongdae’s tiny whine echoing after his words. Baekhyun quickly pushed the imaginary at the back of his brain. 

‘Yeah, I should be going too,” Baekhyun swallowed heavily.

The corners of Junmyeon’s lips quirked upwards again.

“I hope that next time we meet in a less tense situation, Baekhyun. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you properly.” he said with sincerity ringing through his declaration. “Goodbye.”

When Baekhyun was back, in the safety of his car, he felt himself melting into the seat. Every inch of his body and every pore of his skin turning into a bit of molten lava. The still-present lingering scent of burning pinewood and apples didn’t really bother him anymore.

* * *

It was a starry night. Like in all those cliche movies that Baekhyun claimed to hate, but secretly loved to watch (Baekhyun secretly loved many things, but he kept them carefully stored in the locker in his heart to protect them from his own hurricane of emotion). The moon was almost a crescent - a phase that Baekhyun didn’t know a name for but that hardly mattered. 

It was a starry night and the moon was quite beautiful when Baekhyun won a race against Seulgi - one of the most legendary racers. 

“I had a good night!” he would laugh at his fans.

“Too many people put their bets for my name, for me to lose this,” he would joke with the others.

“Seulgi had it coming for a long time!” he would wink at Seulgi’s closest circle.

The truth was, however, that Jongdae’s cheeks were hollow after his heat and he had big eye-bags beneath his eyes, when Baekhyun saw him sitting on the roof of Chanyeol’s scratched Toyota. Jongdae heels were resting on the front window and if Baekhyun was closer he would scold him for dirtying the window. He would probably say a lot of things if he was closer. Some of them he would probably regret later (Or not. Gods, in his deepest dreams he hoped that he would never have to regret them).

But Baekhyun was far away, his Subaru purring loudly at the start line. And Baekhyun thought that over the past two weeks he missed Jongdae enough to at least try to show off a bit. Just because he wanted to taunt him for not putting a bet on Baekhyun. Just because he wanted his Subaru to shine the brightest tonight. 

When the cars set off, from the first seconds of the race, Baekhyun had no doubts that he would win this time. 

The bar was crowded and people around Baekhyun were howling louder than ever and he graced everyone who patted his back with a bright smile. It was a starry night but the air in the bar was clouded with good mood and laughter.

“We could have won so much, Yeol!” Jongin wailed, lightly punching his boyfriend’s arm. “If only you placed your bet on Baekhyun’s win, instead of my second place!” 

Chanyeol even had the audacity to look bashful, with the flushed cheeks and slightly hazy eyes.

“But I wanted to support you!” Chanyeol pouted and Jongin rolled his eyes. 

“Cute way of expressing your love but the money, Chanyeol, _the money_!” Jongin nodded at the bartender to give Chanyeol a glass of water, “If you won, you could express your love by buying me new tires or refreshing the paint on the mask.” he cried loudly before planting a loud smooch on Chanyeol’s cheek and murmuring something into his ear, which made him light up a bit. 

Baekhyun raised his eyebrow at the slowly creeping blush on Jongin’s face. He had a hunch that it was better to step back soon. Especially, ever since he stepped into the bar, his eyes were in a constant search. 

Nodding politely and throwing an off-handed goodbye, Baekhyun sank deeper between the crowd filling the bar. He knew most of them either as his fellow racers, members of the staff or fans. Every face he looked at was familiar but none of them belong to the one he was searching for. 

It felt suffocating in a way: knowing that Jongdae was close - he must have been close - but not being able to see him. Again. Only this time instead of biology or a protective brother, Baekhyun had to go through half-drunk idiots. Out of these two, the latter was much harder. 

Feeling all chewed up, tired and hopeless, he stepped out of the bar craving for fresh air and perhaps a clear mind too. He expected to see a starry sky and moon shaped like a boomerang, but instead, his attention instantly focused on the person sitting on the grass on the side. Baekhyun swallowed, quite sure that the sound itself was loud enough to wake up the dead. But Jongdae, his back facing Baekhyun, didn’t even flinch.

Baekhyun cursed every deity in heavens and hells for Jongdae being either oblivious and deaf or observant and mean. 

“I wouldn’t sit there if I were you,” he said raspily, taking a few steps closer.

Jongdae’s fingers curled slightly digging into the ground. His head lolled to the side and under the bright starry sky, Baekhyun could finally see the sparks in Jongdae’s eyes. They outshined even the lights of the car nearby.

“Good thing that you’re not me then, right Baekhyun?” Jongdae’s tongue wettened the bottom of his lips. 

“Come on, get up.” Baekhyun stood in front of him, hand tentatively reaching forward. “Everything here must be cowered with the fumes.” 

“My hands are dirty, I can get up myself.” Jongdae scoffed at the extended hand and got up himself. “Thank you but remember not to go soft on me now.”

“Wouldn’t dream of that,” he pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Besides,” Jongdae sing-sang happily, “I won big today. It’s true what they say, you know,” he looked at Baekhyun behind the fan of his eyelashes, “Betting on a horse nobody bets on really pays off.”

Baekhyun’s throat felt dust-dry. He tried to wetten his lips but he might have as well rub them with a sugar scrub.

“Well, congratulations on the win.”

“And the same goes to you.” 

Jongdae watched Baekhyun for a couple of seconds, making him squirm. There was something calculative and attentive in the depth of his eyes that Baekhyun wasn’t sure he liked. At last, Jongdae hummed and slowly set off in the parking lot’s general direction. As if there was a string tied to his pinky - Baekhyun had no choice but to follow. The gravel crunched beneath his feet. He didn’t know how it was possible that Jongdae’s footsteps made no sound. Perhaps - just like his personality, his body was also slipping all kinds of normality. 

“You didn’t thank me for the sweater yet,” Baekhyun pointed out after minutes spent in silence. He was walking a few steps behind Jongdae, eyes stubbornly fixed at his bare neck. For the first time, he realized that his hair was curling at the tips.

“I didn’t, did I?” Jongdae asked in response.

Baekhyun’s strolls grew longer and faster and soon he leveled with Jongdae. He wasn’t showing any signs of discomfort or concern. Or even a shadow of surprise. 

With the corners of his eyes, Jongdae looked Baekhyun up and down, and, for a second, Baekhyun felt as if he was standing there completely naked. Stripped out of any form of clothing with the walls around his heart crumbled.

But the moment was over faster than Baekhyun thought it would. Suddenly, something darker, verging on shameful crossed Jongdae’s eyes, and his gaze dropped on the ground. With quite a surprise Baekhyun realized that they stopped in front of his car. The metal pendant hanging on Jongdae’s leather stripes ringed quietly through the night.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d come back then. It’s not like I’ve ever given you a reason to _care_ .” Jongdae rested his hip against the hood of the Subaru. “The moment I realized I started,” his nose scrunched, “ _smelling_. I knew I had to flee fast and you were the first person I could think of with trusting with this kind of a secret.” 

“You could’ve called one of your brothers,” noted Baekhyun absently, half-sitting next to Jongdae.

“I could’ve,” Jongdae mused, resting his palm on the car. It was placed suspiciously close to Baekhyun’s and his heart roared. He wished he could smell the burn of Jongdae’s pinewood and look for a clue in it. 

Baekhyun started digging a hole in the ground with the heel of his foot. For once - he was thankful for the lack of asphalt on the makeshift parking.

“So why did you call me?” 

“Out of spite, to ruin your perfect little Friday,” Jongdae laughed forcefully. 

Baekhyun definitely wasn’t buying that but decided not to call Jongdae out. Shaking his head, he straightened his back and stood up.

“Wait, don’t go.” flew out of Jongdae’s mouth. When surprised Baekhyun looked at him, he looked just as shocked as Baekhyun himself. 

“I wanted to face you properly when you thank me, Kim.” Baekhyun sneered, surprise melting into a lurk-warm curiosity. 

A shaking hand landed on the front of his jacket in a weak attempt of a punch. It stayed there for a moment too long to pretend to be harmful. 

“I thought we agreed that we’re over the Kim and the Byun,” Jongdae snorted. His canine hooked over his lower lip.

“We will be when you thank me properly,” teased Baekhyun, dragging the vowels melodically. 

He didn’t expect Jongdae to look him straight into his eyes. And he certainly didn’t expect to see the earnestness swirling behind Jongdae’s eyelashes. The sights himself pushed every ounce of oxygen out of Baekhyun’s lungs. He leaned forward, planting a hand against the hood, next to Jongdae’s hip. Neither of them turned away, despite the sheer proximity and open intimacy. 

Baekhyun watched Jongdae’s Adam’s apple bob.

“Thank you.” sounded firmly, sincerely and seriously. No teasing and joking this time.

“Any time,” sounded like Baekhyun meant that and he really did. His eyes accidentally dropped to Jongdae’s slightly parted lips, before he dragged them back to his eyes. 

A hand once again landed on his chest but this time it pushed him away. Making his confidence crack and stumble. And perhaps it would also shatter if something in Jongdae’s eyes wouldn’t pull him together. It was that subtle suggestion that was the only thing which kept his heart from breaking. 

“Allow me to show you how thankful I am,” said Jongdae suddenly. And all of Baekhyun’s blood would probably travel south if it wasn’t for the smirk curling up Jongdae’s lips. 

“And how would you show that?” _oh, Kim Jongdae was going to be the very death of Byun Baekhyun._

“Let me drive you home.” the smirk deepened.

“You don’t have a car.” _It seemed like an obvious thing to remind him of._

“But you do.”

“So?” 

“I can drive your car,” Jongdae’s fingers drummed against the hood of the car. The sound of the final verdict. 

_No, no, no. Don’t agree. Terrible idea. You don’t let people_ sit _behind the wheel of your car, not to mention_ driving _it._

Baekhyun pulled the keys out of the pocket of his jacket. They were warm in his hand. He cautiously threw them at Jongdae who caught them immediately. He had always had a good reflex. 

“Sure, why not?”

Jongdae looked at him bewildered. Baekhyun would probably look the same if they ever switched places. He was thankful that would never happen. 

“I didn’t expect you to agree.”

“Me either.” Baekhyun thought that admission tasted shameful on his tongue.

The moon was hanging high in the sky. Jongdae tightened the grip around Baekhyun’s keys and turned to open the door. The muscles on his neck were tense with nervousness. 

“You have it that bad for me, huh Byun?” he taunted but the joke behind it was choked and unnatural. Strange and unfitting.

Baekhyun laughed hoarsely. Sometimes he wished he couldn’t talk to be free from merciless truth spilling out of him.

“Y-yeah, I guess I do.” he rubbed the back of his neck.

Jongdae looked sharply over his shoulder. His bottom lip was wobbling a little bit, despite the canine that tried to keep it from it.

“Don’t worry,” Jongdae smiled crookedly. Baekhyun sucked in a breath. “Me too.”

* * *

The bell rang at 5 pm. Jongdae was wearing a baseball cap, a white t-shirt and jeans shorts, all topped with the sheer determination pouring out of his eyes.

“Get inside the car,” he declared, swiftly pulling Baekhyun out of his own apartment. Only self-preservation and cold blood allowed the racer to quickly slip on some shoes and grab his car keys. 

When Baekhyun reached the first floor, Jongdae was already leaning over his car. Seeing the other man, he adjusted his baseball cap and pulled the corners of his lips into a tense smile. 

“Took you long enough,” he complained, watching Baekhyun jog to the car. Even the short distance that he had to cover was enough for drops of sweat to roll down his neck, tickling the scent blocker patch. 

“Do you want to drive today too?” Baekhyun asked, thinking of the ride a few days ago.

Jongdae shook his head firmly, “I just want you to take me somewhere.” he replied easily as if he asked for that thousand of times. Maybe he did. Maybe Baekhyun had just been oblivious. 

“I can’t believe that you’re making me take you on a road trip in the middle of fucking July.” Baekhyun groaned, sitting in the driver’s seat and automatically turning on the aircon. 

“There’s nothing stopping you from pushing me out of the car,” a wide grin spread across Jongdae’s face and Baekhyun had to turn away in order not to go blind.

“You’d cover my car with toilet paper in the middle of the night if I did that,” Baekhyun put the keys into the ignition.

“Maybe I would,” Jongdae sniggered on the side.

Baekhyun hadn’t even realized when Jongdae sneaked to the front seat next to him, instead of occupying his usual place in the backseat. Usually, Baekhyun asked his passengers to please sit at the back but this was Jongdae and there was nothing usual about him after all. Not after he literally drove Baekhyun’s car a couple of days ago.

He turned the keys, starting the car, making it purr and vibrate with excitement.

“Let’s go then,” Baekhyun said smiling at the passenger next to him. 

Jongdae whooped in response. 

From the very beginning, Baekhyun knew that he wanted to take Jongdae to the cliffs. The thing with the cliffs was that it was almost impossible to get there unless you had a very good car. Which, coincidentally, Baekhyun happened to have. The road leading there twisted like a snake, making it a good racing challenge, and - seeing that he wasn’t driving alone this time - Baekhyun had to keep himself away from the throttle. 

They didn’t talk much. Only from time to time Jongdae let out a soft sigh at the view behind the windows, giving Baekhyun enough peace to think. 

He couldn’t help but go back to the events from a few days ago with Jongdae behind the wheel and their loud laughter resonating through the dark of the night. Baekhyun could hardly think of another time when he had so much fun. The anxiety he might have felt because he wasn’t in charge of Subaru, disappeared under the soft jiggling of Jongdae’s pendants and the heavy scent of hot-dogs bought in the semi-abandoned station. To Baekhyun, even thinking about it, made it seem like one of his wildest dreams. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he woke up asking himself if it really happened. And if Jongdae asked himself the same questions.

If Jongdae remembered the rushed kiss pressed against Baekhyun’s sweaty cheek. 

Baekhyun parked the car on a small parking island on the side of the road. His hands remained planted on the driving wheel.

“We’re here,” he announced with a hint of anxiousness lacing his voice.

Jongdae nodded and without a word opened the door and stepped out of the car into the full sun. His skin was glowing under the golden sun rays, making Baekhyun involuntarily follow him. 

It was really fucking hot, he had no idea why he allowed Jongdae to lure him out of the house in weather like this.

He crossed the distance separating him from the edge of the cliff. Jongdae had already been resting his arms on the rail. If he had blisters after that day, it wasn’t Baekhyun’s fault. 

“It’s beautiful here,” Jongdae whispered absently, face directed at the ocean, eyes closed and nostrils wide from the range of scents. 

Baekhyun sniffed the air, sensing something he didn’t expect to smell here. The wilderness teasing his nose, the saltiness he could almost taste with the tip of his tongue, the burning pinewood setting his guts on fire- He full-on choked on the air he was inhaling. 

“You good there, buddy?” asked Jongdae, fluttering his eyelashes and raising his eyebrow.

Baekhyun wheezed quietly, eyes instantly dropping at the side of Jongdae’s neck. His scent glands were mostly uncovered. Sensing the gaze, Jongdae sighed and rubbed his nape.

“I took them off for a moment… Does it bother you?”

Swallowing hard, Baekhyun shook his head frantically.

“Not in the slightest. I was just surprised.” 

Jongdae hummed and his hum made itself at home with the sound of waves crashing against the shore beneath their feet. 

“You can take yours off too. I don’t mind,” said Jongdae after a couple of minutes spent in silence. “I’m not anywhere near heat either, so we’re safe on this one too.”

While Baekhyun had countless good friends and experienced a fair share of relationships and hook-ups, he couldn’t remind himself when was the last time someone openly encouraged him to take off his scent blockers. It was something saved for the highest levels of intimacy, something saved for one’s home and family. 

Baekhyun’s fingers scratched the patch, nails catching on its corner. His heart was slowly turning into a ticking bomb that was about to explode.

Gently, he peeled off the patch. Jongdae hummed with appreciation.

“You can throw it away, I always carry an extra set around.” he tentatively brushed the tips of his fingers against the Baekhyun’s and took the patch out of his hand.

They both watched their patches fall down the cliff, until they couldn’t see them against the turquoise hue of the ocean. It shouldn’t feel like a significant gesture, but it did.

Jongdae propped his cheek on his palm and turned his attention back to Baekhyun.

“You smell nice,” he murmured. “No wonder you like this place, it suits you.”

An awkward chuckle ripped out of Baekhyun’s throat. 

“You can barely smell it here. I smell like the ocean, the ocean smells like the ocean… I can do the math, Jongdae.” he grinned bashfully, but Jongdae clicked his tongue with displeasure.

“Bullshit. You smell _completely_ different. Believe me I can tell.” he wiggled his eyebrows, pointing at his chest. 

Baekhyun searched for any hint of mockery in his eyes but finding none, he shrugged it off. He refused to acknowledge the sound of rushing blood in his ears. It might as well be the sound of the ocean and he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Focusing his attention back on the line of horizon, he tried to think of any excuse to start a conversation. Something to make this moment last longer.

But Jongdae’s eyes were stubbornly fixed on his face, successfully making it harder for Baekhyun to think.

“I thought we should talk,” Jongdae said, biting the inside of his cheek.

His fingers gripped the rail tighter, turning his knuckles white.

“Sure,” Baekhyun agreed, unsuccessfully trying to tame his excitement and hopefulness. 

“I’m going to lay it out as plainly as I can.”

“Okay.”

“I think we should date.” 

All the walls around Baekhyun’s heart snapped open. His eyes widened and his sanity fell down the cliff. His chest burned and his heart swelled as if someone locked all the love inside him.

_Play it cool, Baekhyun._

“I think... it's a great idea.” he breathed out heavily, his head slowly turning to Jongdae, until his eyes zeroed on his face. 

The smile he saw was much warmer than the sun on the sky above them.

Jongdae laughed loudly, “I had a feeling that you wouldn’t be opposed.” 

The last bit of air in Baekhyun’s lungs slipped out through his lips in a form of choked laugh. His fingertips ached to touch every bare part of Jongdae’s skin. Tingled to slip under his t-shirt and map everything that was beneath. Tickled to rest on his cheekbones and pull him closer and-

“Kiss me, instead of staring genius.” Jongdae snorted, as if he wasn’t the first one who was on the move, standing closer, putting his arms around Baekhyun’s neck and bringing their lips together. 

Something wild and hungry raced through Baekhyun’s body, sending a shiver down his spine as he put his hands on Jongdae’s waist to bring him closer. To feel the warmth of his body against his own and to touch the shape of his bones under his skin. His pinky finger teased the tiny patch of the skin beneath Jongdae’s shirt, making him sigh softly and part his lips. Not wasting any second, Baekhyun’s tongue slipped into his mouth to feel even more, to taste even more and to be even closer. His hand travelled up Jongdae’s spine and his nape. Annoyed with the fact he couldn’t grab a handful of his hair, Baekhyun knocked off the baseball cap sitting on Jongdae’s head.

Jongdae whined into the kiss and that had no rights to be hot but it sent shivers across Baekhyun’s body and he felt like exploding.

“If my cap falls into the ocean, you’re going to fucking regret it, Byun.” muttered Jongdae under his breath when Baekhyun put a light kiss beneath his ear.

He kept his lips there, making sure Jongdae could feel every word he had to say with his own skin.

“It’s _Baekhyun_ for you, _Jongdae_.”

Jongdae’s fingers scratched the back of Baekhyun’s neck., pressing against the flesh and twisting into the tips of his hair.

“You’re still very much gonna regret it, _Baekhyun._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> don't be shy,,, drop a comment
> 
> You can now talk to me on my twt @sunwritten_


End file.
